South East Water announce Temporary Use Ban (TUB)
Next Monday 26 June 2023 a temporary use ban will come into force in the catchment for South East Water, which will have the effect of restricting domestic use of water in Kent and Sussex until further notice.
The official name for these restrictions is Temporary Use Ban, but they are frequently referred to as Hose Pipe Ban by the media. The effect of these bans is the temporary restriction of water use by domestic and, on occasion, some non-domestic/business users.
The restrictions are generally introduced following a period of low rainfall or, as is the case in the South East Water catchment, where demand for tap water has reached record levels due to the high temperatures during the past few weeks. It is likely that other water providers will introduce Temporary Use Bans for their own areas during the summer.
Which water providers have announced or implemented Temporary Use Bans?
South-East Water
From 00:01 on Monday 26th June 2023
Areas covered: Kent, Sussex
Link to company page: visit here
Does this TUB restrict BALI members from using water as part of their business?
No. South East Water has made the following statement in relation to their upcoming Temporary Use Ban: 'The restrictions are for household customers only and do not include business use'
What are the terms of a Temporary Use Ban?
Full details of the powers granted to water suppliers under a Temporary Use Ban are detailed in The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 which can be viewed for free on legislation.gov.uk (see Further Reading section, below).
Whilst the guidance contained within The Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 is detailed, the restrictions issued by individual water providers varies slightly between water provider; many water companies also grant voluntary, area-specific exemptions for certain users of water.
Are landscape contractors affected by Temporary Use Bans?
In most cases, no. Water companies permit businesses to use water without restriction, providing the use of water is directly related to that business. For this reason, water companies permit commercial landscape contractors to use water to ensure the establishment of new trees, plants or turf on any commercial site or project.
In previous years some water companies have prohibited landscape contractors from applying water with a hose on new plants or freshly laid turf in a domestic garden for a domestic client. In this instance, water companies have limited landscape contractors in their use of water. These restrictions are in the region of 14 – 28 days from the date at which planting was undertaken and varies depending on the water supplier.
Further reading:
